England: Private tenants struggle without equal rights as social renters.

Recently, Propertymark has raised concerns about the lack of parity between the social and private rented sectors in England when it comes to qualification requirements for working in either sector. This issue has been highlighted in light of the UK government’s efforts to improve standards in social housing following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.

Levelling up secretary Michael Gove has expressed his intentions to ensure that senior staff members in the social housing sector are appropriately qualified to meet the new standards. Since February 2023, the UK government has mandated that social housing managers must have professional qualifications.

However, there is currently no regulation in England that specifies the need for letting or managing agents to have qualifications. The same goes for estate agents throughout the UK, allowing anyone to set up their own agency without the necessary knowledge of existing housing laws. This loophole poses a risk as it enables rogue agents to operate unchecked.

Propertymark has pointed out the success of Scotland’s compulsory qualification requirements for letting agents, which has led to significant improvements in the letting industry north of the border. The organisation has been advocating for regulated property agents since 2019 when a House of Lords working group recommended licensed property agents should have qualifications and adhere to a Code of Practice.

Propertymark believes that Mr Gove’s move to implement qualifications for the social housing sector should also be extended to the letting industry in England and estate agents across the UK. By following the recommendations of the House of Lords working group from 2019, standards in the housing market can be raised.

Henry Griffith, policy and campaigns officer at Propertymark, emphasised the need for private tenants in England to receive the same protections as social tenants. He highlighted the importance of ensuring that letting agents and estate agents are qualified to handle the complexities of housing legislation. This step, according to Griffith, will elevate standards across the housing sector and guarantee that those involved in housing transactions possess the required qualifications.